MANILA (Reuters) – Six police officers may lose their jobs for pawning their guns in the southern Philippines, where underfunded and poorly paid security forces are fighting Muslim and communist insurgencies.

Chief Superintendent German Doria, police chief of Central Mindanao, said yesterday the incidents of government-issued guns being pawned came to light when the National Bureau of Investigation raided shops selling stolen goods in Tupi town.

”What these police officers had done was tantamount to grave misconduct and they should be dismissed from the service,” Doria told reporters, adding that he had ordered an inventory of guns issued to all officers in South Cotabato province.

”How can police officers carry out their missions if they don’t have guns?”

The Philippines is recruiting at least 15,000 extra police officers and getting 120,000 new guns to help counter growing threats from communist rebels of the New People’s Army (NPA).